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Firefighters Rush Into Burning Home To Save Puppy — And Find Him Tied Up

There are few situations more perilous than being trapped inside a smoke-filled home on fire — but for one little puppy in that exact predicament, the near-death experience actually ended up saving his life.

Earlier this month, first responders from California's Lompoc Fire Department were called to the house on fire. When they arrived, homeowner Edward Vantassel was standing out front. He informed the firefighters that his young dog was still inside.

Risking their own safety, crews rushed in to find the pup — only to discover he would have had no chance of escaping on his own.

Thankfully, the puppy was still alive, but it was immediately clear that he was kept less as a pet, and more like a prisoner.

"Firefighters located the dog inside of an overturned, weighted down box in a room on the second floor of the residence," the Lompoc Police Department said in a release. "Firefighters also discovered the dog's muzzle and rear legs had been bound with rubber bands."